The present invention relates to radio frequency identification (RFID), and in particular, to systems and methods for RFID security.
RFID systems are useful in a wide variety of applications. RFID systems are radio communication systems that include small low cost electronic devices that store information including identification (ID) information, for example. These devices are referred to as RFID tags. The RFID tags may be designed using backscattering circuit techniques, for example, so that another device can retrieve the ID wirelessly. The retrieving device is typically referred to as a “reader”, and sometimes as an “interrogator”. The tags are typically very small, and may be placed on a variety of items including equipment, products, or even people, for example, and identification of such items may be made through a reader. Accordingly, RFID systems may be used to track inventory in a warehouse, the number of products on store shelves, or the location of equipment in a company, to name just a few example applications.
RFID systems may include large numbers of tags and readers spread out across potentially wide areas. The large number of tags and readers may result in a correspondingly large volume of information that may need to be processed. Such information may include large volumes of tag IDs. In order to process such information, powerful readers are typically used that include complex software capable of interfacing with backend systems that store and ultimately use the data.
The cost of RFID tags is decreasing in correspondence with advances in semiconductor processing and electronic circuitry technology. As such, RFID tags are being associated with a wide variety of items in increasing numbers.
As RFID tags are being incorporated on an increasing number of items, privacy concerns arise. For example, RFID tags may be attached to retail products in a store. Competitors of the store may surreptitiously read the RFID tags to obtain business intelligence regarding sales, turnover, etc. As another example, RFID tags may be attached to drivers' licenses. Entities may surreptitiously track people using such tags. RFID tags may be incorporated with financial items such as currency, gaming tokens, bank cards, credit cards, gift cards, etc. Entities may surreptitiously read the information stored on the card and attempt to use that information to perform unauthorized transactions.
These and other concerns provide a desire to improve the security of RFID tags. However, adding security features to RFID tags increases their cost. A conflict arises between security of RFID tag information and ubiquity of RFID tag deployment. Thus, there is a need for security features that may be implemented with low cost in an RFID system.